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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S.- T. DUTTON.

v APPARATUS FOR If RAIN SIGNALING. No. 416,777. Patented Dec. 10. 1889.

fl I d z fl WJIJVESSES (No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

\ S. T. DUTTON.

APPARATUS FOR TRAIN SIGNALING.

Patented Dec. 10, 18 89 I VEJVZOQ (I dilorney n. PETERS, mwum w, wimp. 07c.

UNITED STAT S PATENT ()FFICE.

SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON, OF woRoEsTER, COUNTY OF WORCESTER,

ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR TRAIN-SIGNALING.

, SPECIFTCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,777, dated December 10, 1889.

Application filed March 5, 1889. Serial No. 302,039. (No model.) Patented in England March 4, 1887, No. 3,360: in France November 22, 1887, No. 187,122, and in Belgium November 30, 1887, No. 79,948.

1'0 ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL TELEoRD DUT- TON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain.

and Ireland, residing at the city of Worcester, county of Worcester, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machinery or Apparatus for Train-Signaling on Railroads, (for which I have obtained apatent in Great Britain, No. 3,360, bearing date March 4, 1887; Belgium, No. 79,948, dated November 30, 1887, and France, No. 187,122, dated November 22, 1887,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of machinery or apparatus constructed andworked in the manner hereinafter described,by the use of which machinery or apparatus risk of accident is avoided when by carelessness or inadverten ce on the part of the signal-man or from other cause the signal or other lever is moved from the safe position to the danger position before the train signaled has passed all "the points controlled by the signaling apparatus.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, 1 remark that according to the ordinary method of signaling the signalman keeps the signal 'offthat is, holds the signal-lever in its safe or worked positionuntil the train signaled has passed through all the points and parts of the line under the control of the signaling apparatus. Immediately he replaces the signal or other lever to its danger or normal position, the levers working the conflicting points are unlocked, and if this unlocking is effected before the train has passed the parts which should be locked during the passing of the train there is great danger of accident.

The object of my invention is to minimize the risk of accident, should the signal-man attempt to replace his signal-lever to its normal or danger position before the last vehicle of the train has passed clear of the conflicting points, and this I eifect by the use of the apparatus hereinafter described, which apparatus prevents the signal or other lever from being fully put back or brought to its normal or danger position, (though the signal may be put to danger,) until after the lapse of such a time as more than suffices to enable the passing train to travel over those parts of the line controlled by the signal.

The apparatus constituting my invention is constructed as follows; Fixed preferably the back of the signal or other lever, is a closed hollow cylinder with a piston and piston-rod, the piston-rod passing through a stuffing-box on the cylinder. The cylinder is filled with a liquid which will not freeze, such as oil or glycerine. The piston is perforated with a series of holes, all of which (excepting one or two, Fig. 9) are provided on theunder side of the piston with flaps or valves opening downward. When the piston is pressed down in its cylinder, it can only move slowly, as the liquid on its under side can only pass through the one or two holes without flaps, Figs. 7 and 9, to the upper side very slowly, or through the narrow side or-lower channel, Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6. When, however, the piston is raised from the bottom to the top of the cylinder, it can move rapidly, as the liquid passes from the upper to the under side of the piston through all the holes. A spring or springs, acting on the head of the piston-rod or on the under side of the piston, raises the piston to the top of'its cylinder when the piston is at liberty to move. The cylinder is fixed, preferably, in an inclined position, so that when the signal or other lever is approachingits danger or normal position a projection on or the catch-box of the said lever bears directly, or nearly so, on the head of the piston-rod. The lever cannot fully reach its danger or normal position except by pressing on the end of thepistonrod and forcing the piston toward the bottom of the cylinder; and this, as already explained, can only take place slowly, the exact time being regulated by the size of the hole or holes in the piston, Fig. 7, through which the liquid passes, or the movement of the set-screw, Fig. 3, on the descent of the piston and the length of its stroke.

If the signal-man attempts to replace the signal or other lever to the danger ornormal position too soon, the motion of the lever is to the floor of the signal-mans tower, and at 5 5 arrested as it approaches the end of its stroke, and can only reach its final or danger posi tion slowly by pressure on the lever; or the apparatus may be automatic-that is, the signal or other lever when loosened by the signal-man may, by the action of a weight or by the pull of the signal-wire, be worked back to the danger position, but can only reach this position slowly by the action of the cylinder and piston, as already explained.

I have described my invention only in connection with a direct-lever-locking apparatus; but I wish it to be understood that my inven tion is also applicable to locking apparatus of the kind known as preliminary or spring-catch actuation, as well as to looking apparatus generallysuch as a combination of both-in which it is desirable that the motion of the lever should be controlled in the manner hereinbefore described.

My invention is applicable to the main lines of railroads, to sidings and crossings, and generally to all such parts of or additions to railroads as are under the control of signals.

It is obvious that my invention is applicable to any and all levers in a locking apparatus, no matter what their use may be; for the essence of my invention consists in retaining or prolonging the backlocks or looks of one or more levers upon any other specified for example, a lever may be partially reor desired lever or levers.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of a lockin g apparatusshowing my invention applied to a lever, Fig. 2 is a section of the lower part of the end of the cylinder, showing the plug V for emptying the cylinder. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of my cylinder as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. at is an enlarged plan of my cylinder as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged frontelevation, and Fig. (5 an enlarged back elevation, of my cylinder as shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 7 and 8 are a vertical section and plan Views, respectively, of a modification of the means for raising the piston in its cylinder when at liberty to move and for the passage of the liquid on the back-stroke of the piston when forced by the return motion of the lever. 1 Fig. 9 is a plan view of the piston shown in Fig. 7.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the draw- 1ngs.

In Fig. 1, a is the lever,A being its normal or danger position, the dotted-line position, marked B, being the position to which the lever is put back when, for example, the signal is put to danger, and in which position the motion of the said lever is retarded, and the dotted-line position, marked C, is the position of the lever 0t when, for example, the signal is deflected to its all right position.

- d is the closed cylinder of my invention,

' preferably fixed to the floor of the signalmans tower at the back of the signal or other 1everssay,ctby the base-plate d ff, Figs. 7 and 8, are slot-holes in the baseplate 01 through which bolts are passed for adjusting the position of the machine on the floor of the signal-mans tower.

f f in the remaining figures are holes for bolting the machine to the floor, the adjustment being otherwise obtained.

The said cylinder 61 is filled with a liquid, preferably of the kind hereinbefore mentioned, or it may be filled with air.

d is the cylinder-cover, containing a guide and also a gland or packing for the pistonrod.

d is the piston working in the said cylinder 01, and d is the piston-rod. The piston d is perforated at its marginal part with a series of holes 9 g, to allow the liquid or air to pass freely from the upper to the lower side of the piston. The said piston (in Fig. 7 only) hasa hole 7t near its middle for the liquid or air to pass slowly from the lower side to the upper side of the piston. In the remaining figures there is a lower channel h and a hole It at the upper side of the cylinderfor the liquid or air to pass slowly from the lower to the upper side of the piston. A set-screw 71. regulates the passage, either obstructing or facilitating placed, throwing a signal -to danger, yet the said lever cannot complete its full return motion, say, for one, two, three, or any desired number of minutes.

Over the marginal holes g in the piston 01 is a leather flap or valve 2, opening downward for closing the said holes when the piston is depressed in its cylinder. By means of the screw-nut k the piston d and its valve 2' are connected to the piston-rod 01 f Fig. 3, is the center pin upon which the cylinder is supported, and the lug f and screw f and the nuts above and below lug f are the means by which the angle of the cylinder is determined, forming a ready means of adjustment to suit the contact with the catch-box a of the lever. 1

The piston 61 is raised or propelled upward in the cylinder d, when at liberty to move, by means of the arrangements represented in Figs. 3 and 7.

In the arrangement of Fig. 3, the spring it takes an abutment against the lower end 01 of the cylinder, it being compressed when the lever is normal by the piston 61". When the signal-man works the lever and the piston-rod this free, the spring 1t forces the piston d upward.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the piston-rod is hollow or tubular and has within it a single coiled spring M, the said piston-rod having a closed cap-head (1, against which one end of the spring takes an abutment, the other end of the spring taking an abutment in a sockett at the bottom of the cylinder d. u is a loose guide-rod inside the ton-rod.

have a small roller to bear against the pad 51:

straight when expanded. modification is the same as first described.

For the modification in Figs. 7 and S-(and it is applicable also in the remaining figures) on the catch-box a of the lever a is a nose a which nose presses directly on the end of the piston-rod d A pad 00 of moderately hard india-rubber may be inserted in the bearingface of the nose 0/3 to receive any concussion that may take place between it and the pisihe top of the piston-rod 61 may on the lever and thereby diminish friction.

In order to prevent the nose of the lever for the spring-catch on the lever to engage with, so as to arrest the motion of the lover a just before it comes in contact with the pro jected piston-rod d On pressing the piston d into its cylinder it can only move slowly therein, as the liquid or air on the under side of the piston can only pass through the single hole It in the said piston, Fig. 7, or along the channel h, through the hole 77?, to the opposite side of the piston; but when the pressure of the nose or catch-box of the lever a is removed from the piston-rod the piston is raised in its cylinder by the action of the spring, as before explained, the piston now moving more rapidly in its cylinder, as the liquid or air on the upper side of the piston is permitted to pass to the under side through all the holes in the piston, and in 3 through 77. and the channel it as well.

d Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, is the reservoir, and the means by which, through hole d the cylinder is filled. 14-, Fig. 1, is a weight upon the tail of the lever a, which would, if desirable, make the action of the lever upon the machine automatic, so that pressure by the signal-man upon the piston-rod (1 through the lever would beunnecessary. As an example, when the lever a is in the position indicated at O in Fig. 1, and supposing the lever worked a signal, the said signal would be in its all right" position and the piston 02 at the top of its cylinder and the piston-rod d in its fully-projected position. 1 When the signal is put to' danger, the lever a is moved to the position indicated in dotted lines at B, Fig. 1; but the said lever is arrested and prevented from passing to its normal position A by the nose a or the catchbox of the said lever coming against the projected piston-rod C1 and the lever a cannot pass to its normal position A until by pressure on the said lever on (or by the pull of the signal-wire assisted by the weight w on the said lever) it has slowly caused the displacement of the required quantity of liquid or air in the cylinder at from the lower side to the upper side of the piston, as before explained. Thus the lever a cannot fully reach its danger or normal position A excepting by pressure upon the end of the piston-rod, thus forcing the piston (1 toward the bottom of the cylinder, and this can only take place slowly, the exact time being regulated by the size of the hole h (or holes) in the piston or the position of the set-screw 72. and the stroke of the piston-rod.

Although in the hereinbefore description I have chiefly illustrated the application of my invention in connection with a signal lever, yet I do not confine myself to that application only, as, for instance, in a facing junction there are usually employed and worked levers intermediate between the point-lever and the signal leverviz., pointlock and bar-leverand it may be frequently convenient to employ my invention to abarlever; or, again, it may be convenient, and indeed desirable, to employ my invention where facing and trailing points occur (and where independent signals are not provided for shunting) in through -crossings, sothat a time interval elapses before the facing points are free to be moved, the object, of. course, being to allow a suflicient time for a shunt movement to have gone clear of the points that may be facing and so prevent the signal-man, by my invention, from reversing his points and so splitting a train. In this case my invention would be applied to the trailing point-lever, which would have to be replaced first by ordinary interlocking, but yet could not complete its return movement until the piston was depressed fully in its cylinder. The time interval in such a case would the rod near one end of the travel of said lever, a small passage constantly open and connecting the opposite ends of the cylinder, and a large passage provided with a valve and only connecting the opposite ends of the cylinder during one stroke of the piston, substantially as and for the purpose set forth;

2. In a signaling apparatus, the combination, with pivoted operating-lever provided with a weight on its cranked extension for operating it automatically in one direction, a toothed quadrant, and a catch pivoted to the lever and engaging with said quadrant, of a stationary cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a piston-rod projecting from the cylinder so that the lever must strike against the end of the rod near one end of the travel of said lever, a small passage constantly open and connecting the opposite ends of the cylinder, and a large passage provided with a valve and only connecting the opposite ends of the cyl- IIO inder during one stroke of the piston, sub-' stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a signaling apparatus, the combination, with a pivoted operating-lever provided with a toothed quadrant and a retainingcatch, of a stationary cylinder, a piston working in the cylinder, a piston-rod projecting from the cylinder so that the lever must strike against the end of the rod near one end of the travel of said lever, a spring for operating the said piston automatically in onedirection, a small passage constantly open and connecting the opposite ends of the cylinder, and a large passage provided with a valve and onlyconnecting the opposite ends of the cylinder during one stroke of the piston, sub stantially as and for the purpose set forth. r

4. The combination, with the stationary stand, of the adjustable cylinder pivoted at one end to the stand and provided with alug at the other end, a screw pivoted to the stand and passing through said lug, and one or more the opposite ends of the cylinder, of the reservoir cast upon the upper side of the cylinder and provided with a small hole communicating with the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The co1nbination,with a pivoted operating-lever, of a Stationary cylinder provided with a piston and piston-rod and Witha small open passage leading out of one end of the cylinder, the said lever being Wholly free of said piston-rod when moved in one direction and also free for the greater part of its reverse movement and operatively connected with said piston-rod during the remaining portion of its said reverse movement, Whereby its velocity during said remaining portion is forcibly retarded and controlled by the slow passage of the contents of said cylinder through said outlet-passage, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the resence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN P. OCONNELL, WALKER J. SKERTEN. 

